Getty DeAndre Hopkins
It does not seem that long ago when the Tennessee Titans were legitimate Super Bowl threats and the Pittsburgh Steelers could only remain relevant by being dark horse contenders.
Oh, how the tables have turned. The Titans (2-4) are reeling in the AFC South, perhaps making them sellers at the October 31 trade deadline. On the flip side, the Steelers (4-2) have the spark they need to try and overtake the Baltimore Ravens atop the AFC North once more.
If the Titans unload veterans, including former All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, the Steelers are the odds-on favorites to land him.
Sports Illustrated reported on October 25 that BetOnline.ag lists Pittsburgh as having 5-to-1 odds to acquire Hopkins, who signed a two-year deal with Tennessee in July. The Cleveland Browns have 11-to-2 odds and the Seattle Seahawks are at 6-to-1.
The Titans already dealt one of their top defensive players on October 24 and may not be done unloading top talent, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“It feels like Tennessee isn’t done after the Kevin Byard trade, too,” Fowler wrote in a story published October 27.
The Steelers Have a Full House at Receiver
How badly to the Steelers need Hopkins, if at all?
Hopkins has 376 yards on 27 receptions in 2023, but after the performance that wide receivers George Pickens (5 catches, 107 yards) and Diontae Johnson (5 catches, 79 yards) put on in the Steelers’ victory over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 7, the Steelers might feel good about the talent they have on the outside.
Both Pickens and Johnson demand a hefty amount of targets from QB Kenny Pickett. With 500 yards receiving heading into Week 8, Pickens is situated as Pittsburgh’s WR1. His 18.5 yards per reception trail only Houston Texans wideout Nico Collins. He’s as good a deep-ball threat as there is in the NFL.
Johnson’s return to the lineup has bumped Allen Robinson out of the WR2 slot, giving Pickett another dynamic receiver with big-play explosiveness. In half of the starts as Robinson, Johnson is already 17 yards away from overtaking Robinson for the second most on the team.
Hopkins’ 57.8% catch percentage is down compared with his career average of 62.2%, but he is on pace for his first 1,000-yard season since 2020, when he was named second-team All-Pro. Hopkins’ production is going to waste in Tennessee, with Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill throwing only 2 touchdowns this season.
The Implications of Taking on The 31-Year-Old Hopkins’ Contract
The Steelers can look at a trade for Hopkins with a glass half-full or half-empty mindset.
With the glass half-full, offensive coordinator Matt Canada gets another star-caliber receiver that can help the Steelers overcome their 50% red zone TD conversion rate (No. 19 overall) and the lowest receiving first-down tally (49) in the NFL.
With the glass half-empty, Pittsburgh would be taking Hopkins’ $13 million annual salary, which exceeds that of all the other receivers on the roster combined. They’d also run the risk of losing Hopkins at the end of his deal in the spring 2024. And that’s not to mention Hopkins’ age (32 when the 2024 season starts).
Even in the midst of Pickens and Johnson dominating secondaries down the field, the Steelers are more of a running team to begin with.